Noise and air flow controlling plenum return assembly



J. W. SCHUTT Dec. 1, 1964 NOISE AND AIR FLOW CONTROLLING PLENUM RETURN ASSEMBLY Filed Jan. 12, 1962 A7// XM/Z S H m N M w z c PA 4 w m f w i J M c .w

United States Patent 3,159,u91 NOISE AND AIR FLOW CONTRQLLING PLENUM RETURN ASSEMBLY Jerome W. Schutt, 3124 Sunview, Sacramento, Calif. Filed Jan. 12, E62, Ser. No. 165,8ii1 2 Claims. (Cl. 98-40) This invention relates to a novel noise and air flow controlling plenum return assembly for air conditioning systems, and the like.

The primary object of the invention is the provision of an efiicient and readily adjustable device of the kind indicated whereby the rate of air flow from a building space, such as a plenum, out of a room, can be changed to suit conditions, and the noise ordinarily incidental to flow of air through such devices is substantially reduced or eliminated by a sound-absorbing component of the device.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a device of the character indicated above, which has novel and improved means for mounting the device on the inner side of a false wall'or ceiling panel, between an air conduit and such a panel, with the device registered with an opening therein and extending through the opening flush with the outer or exposed surface of the panel,

whereby supporting strain is distributed along the panel and along the air conduit, at opposite sides of the openings therein.

A further object of the invention is the provision of a device of the character indicated above, which has stationary louvers and rotatably adjustable vanes behind the louvers, the vanes being adjustable to determine the amount and rate of flow of air through the device from the louvers.

Other important objects and advantageous features of the invention will be apparent from the following description and the accompanying drawings, wherein, for purposes of illustration only, a specific form of the invention is set forth in detail.

In the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view showing a device of the invention installed in a false ceiling of a plenum;

FIGURE 2 is an exploded perspective view of FIG- URE 1 the conduit being shown in longitudinal position in full lines and in transverse position in phantom lines;

FIGURE 3 is an enlarged vertical longitudinal section taken on the line 33 of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 4 is a transverse section taken on the line 4-4 of FIGURE 3.

Referring in detail to the drawings, wherein like numerals designate like parts throughout the several views, a plenum is shown, which involves a ceiling panel 12 having a rectangular opening 14 extending therethrough. An air return conduit or duct 16, of fibrous material, is positioned behind or above the ceiling panel 12, is spaced parallel therefrom, and is provided in its sidewall with a rectangular opening 18 which is registered with the ceiling panel opening 14. The ceiling panel 12 is anchored to the conduit 16 by means of longitudinally spaced fasteners or T-shaped bars 20 which extend through the panel and are support from the regular ceiling in the usual manner. The conduit 16 is herein shown as being rectangular in cross section, and the openings 14 and 18 of rectangular shape. However, the invention is equally applicable to conduits of other sections, including circular, and to other shapes of openings.

A device of the present invention, generally designated 22, comprises a short open-ended tubular louvered housing 24, of a cross section to fit the ceiling panel and air conduit openings 14 and 18, respectively, has a surrounding lateral flange 26 on its lower end, which has, on its inner side, a peripheral rib 28, which bears directly 3,159,691 Patented Dec. 1, 1964 against the outer surface of the ceiling panel 12. Overlapping arcuate cross section louvers 30 extend between and are fixed to opposed walls 32 of the housing 24, at its outer end, and, as a group, extend between the other opposed walls 34 of the housing.

Spaced inwardly from and close behind the louvers 30, and extending between the opposed walls 32 of the housing 24, are bafiie vanes 36, herein shown as being four in number, which are spaced laterally from each other and from the housing walls 34. The .vanes 36 are of shallow channel cross section, and have lateral flat bearing plates 38, fixed on their ends, which extend beyond the open sides of the vanes and bear rotatably against the housing walls 32, with pivots, such as bolts or headed rivets 4%), extending centrally therethrough and through the housing walls 32, so that the vanes 36 can be rotated to different angular positions, as by the insertion of a suitable implement between louvers 30. As shown in FIGURE 4, the vanes 36 are preferably arranged in cooperating pairs wherein the vanes are capable of being adjusted to substantially overlapping relationship, for maximum battling and arrestation of air flow, from acutely angled positions, as shown, wherein medium air battling is obtained, and to substantially parallel relationship, for minimal bafiiiug and free flow or" air through the housing 24. l

The louvered housing 24 has bolted, as indicated at 42, against the outer sides of its walls 34, channel mounting struts 44, which are substantially longer than the housing and reach beyond opposite sides thereof, and take up the space between and bear against the inner side of the ceiling panel 12 and the outer side of the air conduit 16, and have outer ends 46 which are disposed close to the fasteners 20, whereby bending and other stresses, otherwise imposed on the ceiling panel 12 and/or the air conduit 16 are widely distributed.

The sound absorbing and noise reducing component of the instant device consists of the air conduit 16, which comprises an outer, non-breathing jacket 48, preferably of sheet metal, which is larger in cross section than the housing 24, and has an acoustic liner 50 of substantial thickness. The liner 50 can be of any suitable soundabsorbing material, preferably of mineral fiber. The jacket 48 has laterally inwardly extending flanges 52 which reach to and are or can be suitably secured to the sidewalls 34 of the housing 24, as shown in FIGURE 4, at points spaced outwardly from the inner end 54 of the housing, with portions 56 of the acoustic liner 50 disposed between the jacket and the housing walls 34. The inner end 54 of the housing 24 is fitted snugly within the conduit opening 18.

As shown in FIGURE 4, the vanes 36 are adjusted so as to direct air entering the housing 24, against opposite sides of the acoustic liner 50, with part of the incoming air permitted to pass between the vanes and impinge upon thet top of the liner 50, so that the noise otherwise incidental to entry of air into the conduit is absorbed by the liner 50.

As indicated in phantom lines in FIGURES 2 and 3, the conduit 16 can be disposed at right angles to the positions shown in full lines, where desired.

Although there has been shown and described a preferred form of the invention, it is to be understood that the invention is not necessarily confined thereto, and that any change or changes in the structure of and in the relative arrangements of components thereof are contemplated as being within the scope of the invention as defined by the claims appended hereto.

What is claimed is:

1. A noise and air flow controlling assembly comprising, in combination with a false ceiling having a plurality of panels, one of said panels having an opening extending transversely therethrough, and spaced elongated panel support means for supporting said panels, said assembly including a tubular housing having a pair of opposed open upper and lower ends and a pair of walls, said housing having said lower end thereof fitted within said opening with its upper end projecting above said one panel, said housing having a plurality of elongated fixed louvers disposed in said lower end of said housing and extending between said Walls thereof with their respective ends secured to said Walls, said louvers being substantially arcuate in transverse cross-section and disposed in laterallyspaced overlapping relationship relative to one another, a plurality of elongated substantially rectangular baflie vanes disposed Within said housing and extending between said Walls, means pivotally connecting the ends of said vanes on said Walls, an elongated air-conducting conduit having an opening formed therein, a sound-absorbing liner disposedtwithin said conduit and secured thereto, said upper end of said housing being fitted within said opening formed in said conduit, and elongated means disposed be-tween said conduit and said one panel supporting said conduit in vertically-spaced relation relative to said one panel, said means comprising an elongated member References Cited by the Examiner 10 UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,172,944 9/39 Norris Q 98-40 2,564,334 8/51 Kennedy 98-40 2,621,579 12/52 Person et a1. 98-40 15 2,671,395 3/54 Demuth L 98-40 2,858,760 11/58 Lathrop 98-40 2,872,859 2/59 Kennedy 98-38 2,928,331 3/60 Averill 98-40 2,982,197 5/61 Roberts 98-40 20 2,977,869 4/61 'ODay 98-40 3,000,464 9/61 Watters 181-33 ROBERTA. OLEARY, Primary Examiner. ARNOLD RUEGG, Examiner. 

1. A NOISE AND AIR FLOW CONTROLLING ASSEMBLY COMPRISING, IN COMBINATION WITH A FALSE CEILING HAVING A PLURALITY OF PANELS. ONE OF SAID PANELS HAVING AN OPENING EXTENDING TRANSVERSELY THERETHROUGH, AND SPACED ELONGATED PANEL SUPPORT MEANS FOR SUPPORTING SAID PANELS, SAID ASSEMBLY INCLUDING A TUBULAR HOUSING HAVING A PAIR OF OPPOSED OPEN UPPER AND LOWER ENDS AND A PAIR OF WALLS, SAID HOUSING HAVING SAID LOWER ENDS THEREOF FITTED WITHIN SAID OPENING WITH ITS UPPER END PROJECTING ABOVE SAID ONE PANEL, SAID HOUSING HAVING A PLURALITY OF ELONGATED FIXED LOUVERS DISPOSED IN SAID LOWER END OF SAID HOUSING AND EXTENDING BETWEEN SAID WALLS THEREOF WITH THEIR RESPECTIVE ENDS SECURED TO SAID WALLS, SAID LOUVERS BEING SUBSTANTIALLY ARCUATE IN TRANSVERSE CROSS-SECTION AND DISPOSED IN LATERALLYSPACED OVERLAPPING RELATIONSHIP RELATIVE TO ONE ANOTHER, A PLURALITY OF ELONGATED SUBSTANTIALLY RECTANGULAR BAFFLE VANES DISPOSED WITHIN SAID HOUSING AND EXTENDING BETWEEN SAID WALLS, MEANS PIVOTALLY CONNECTING THE ENDS OF SAID VANES ON SAID WALLS, AN ELONGATED AIR-CONDUCTING CONDUIT HAVING AN OPENING FORMED THEREIN, A SOUND-ABSORBING LINER DISPOSED WITHIN SAID CONDUIT AND SECURED THERETO, SAID UPPER END OF SAID HOUSING BEING FITTED WITHIN SAID OPENING FORMED IN SAID CONDUIT, AND ELONGATED MEANS DISPOSED BETWEEN SAID CONDUIT AND SAID ONE PANEL SUPPORTING SAID CONDUIT IN VERTICALLY-SPACED RELATION RELATIVE TO SAID ONE PANEL, SAID MEANS COMPRISING AN ELONGATED MEMBER SECURED TO THE OPPOSITE PAIR OF WALLS OF SAID HOUSING AND EXTENDING ABOVE SAID PANELS BETWEEN AND TO A PAIR OF ADJACENT PANEL SUPPORT MEANS AND BEING SUPPORTED THEREON. 